Kellye Garrett knew at age 5 that she wanted to write.

That’s a big deal, guys. I think it took me until age 7 to know - so she was way ahead of me!

And she’s come a long way since then. Today, her crime fiction novels have been featured on the Today Show, won numerous awards, and named to Time Magazine’s 100 Best Mystery & Thrillers of All Time. The latest is Missing White Woman, which was an Apple Books Staff Pick, Amazon Editors’ Pick, Reader's Digest June 2024 Book Club selection and the CBS New York Club Calvi Spring Book Club pick.

In addition, Kellye is a co-founder of Crime Writers of Color, which received the 2023 Raven Award from MWA and Boucheron’s 2024 David Thompson Special Service Award.

Plus, she’s an overall amazing person and so much fun to talk to.

We talked about her road from screenwriter to novelist, including:

• What journalism taught her about writing

• How a billboard on the side of an LA freeway led to her first novel, Hollywood Homicide

• The everyday experiences that shape her writing practice

• How community has helped shape her career

And so much more.

Chapters:

03:00 Kellye's Journey to Crime Writing

06:12 Transition from Screenwriting to Novels

08:57 Finding an Agent and Getting Published

12:11 The Evolution of Kellye's Writing Career

15:09 Writing Process and Idea Generation

18:06 Research and Community in Writing

20:54 Diversity in Crime Fiction

24:07 Upcoming Projects and Future Plans

27:01 Advice for Aspiring Writers

You can find more about Kellye here: https://kellyegarrett.com/

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